Luggace carrier



Oct. .25., 1932. A. w. VAN DEVANTER LUGGAGE CARRIER Filed May 29. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. '25, 1932; A. w. VAN DEVANTER LUGGAGE CARRIER Filed May 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNVENTOR Jillia'fi, Wet 2W ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES ANNE W. VAN DEVANTER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE LUGGAGE CARRIER Application filed May 29,

The present invention consists of a. luggage carrier which is especially adapted for use by women and has for an object the provision of a multi-compartment carrier which will hold, in an Y accessible position, wearing apparel, toilet articles, and other miscellaneous items forming a part of the luggage or baggage to be transported in the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier, the body and lid of which are equipped with a series of pockets to conveniently hold articles of various miscellany, the pockets being so arranged that ample space is provided for the packing of larger articles, especially the wearing apparel, compactly and'in a facile manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ladys luggage carrier formed to provide suitable compartments for wearing apparel, toilet articles, etc, and includes a pocket carrying leaf hinged in the carrier lid, which in itself is adapted for certain uses hereinafier set forth and which is also provided with a series of pockets;

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description ofthe present preferred form of the invention,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a luggage carrier, constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown in an pen posi tion;

Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view of the luggage carrier in a closed position;

Fig. 3 is a detail, fragmentary plan view of the body of the luggage carrier, constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the dress carrying packet, constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the same; and,

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the luggage carrier lid, showing the interior structure thereof opened out.

The luggage carrier constructed inaccordance with the present invention includes a body portion '7 and a lid 8, the latter being 1929. Serial No. 367,094.

hinged to the body in a manner well known in the art. In the present instance the carrier is shown to be of oblong configuration, although it is to be understood that it may be of any other desired contour and may be made of leather or other suitable material.

The body 7 of the carrier is provided with a marginal'row of pockets, which are of a depth co-extensive with the width of the body. The pockets at the sides and ends of the body, designated 9, are each formed by stitching or otherwise securing the-terminals of a strip or sheet of fabric to the inner face of a wall of the carrier body, as indicated at 10, and by stitching or otherwise securing the inner terminal of the strip or sheet to the inner face of the bottom wall of the carrier, as indicated at 11. It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, that by securing the lower margin of 73 each of said strips to the inner wall or bottom of the carrier, when the carrier is in an open position, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a straight pocket is provided which is of substantially uniform breadth through its length. By making the pockets strai ht, not only are they adapted to accommodate a greater number of articles, but in addition, the articles may be retained on end in the pocket to render them readily 30 accessible. I

The pockets at one end of the carrier are especially: adapted for the reception of specialarticles. One of'the pockets is adapted to receive shoes 12, which are preferably packed in a horizontal position. Another of said pockets is formed to be adaptable for the reception of a toilet case 13. The toilet case may be used on a common carrier, such as a railroad train, for carrying articles to the dressing-room to avoid the necessity of taking the more cumbersome luggage carrier. It is preferred thatrthe pocket which is formed at the top of the carrier, when the latter is in theposition shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, extend from one terminal row of pockets to the other, to provide ample storage space for the reception of hats, designated 14. Consequently, when the carrier is being carried by the handle 15 or is in an upstanding position, as shown in Fig. 2, the contents of the carrier will gravitate away from the hats to prevent crushing of the latter.

The lid 8 of the carrier is equipped with a hinged panel or leaf 15, which lies completely within the plane of the lid and by reason of the construction of the hinge employed for engaging the leaf with the lid, is appreciably spaced from the latter. In this way a storage space is provided for the accommodation of miscellaneous articles, which are desired to be retained in their relatively flat position, such as photographs, drawings, etc. The panel 15 is equiped with sub-panels 16, each of which latter is hingedly mounted on the panel 15 and is provided with a series of pockets 17, which are of various sizes and are adapted for use in carrying flat articles. The free ends of the sub-panels are connected to the panel 15, by flexible strips 18, which may be made of elastic, if desired. As shown to advantage in Fig. 6, the strips 18 limit the extent of movement of the subanels away from the main panel. The space hind the sub-panels 16 may be used to accommodate coat hangers or like articles. The upper of the sub-panels is equipped witha pin-receiving tab 19, adapted to carry pins, especially safety-pins, in a readily accessible position.

The pockets 17 are stitched or otherwise secured to the sub-panels and it will be noted, especially upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, that the lower row of the pockets is spaced from the hinged margin of the subpanel which carries the same, so that the contents of these pockets will not come in contact with the contents of the carrier body. It has been found that article-containing pockets which are mounted on the lid of a luggage carried are inconvenient or undesirable because the contents thereof gravitate to the bottom of the pocket, while the carrier is being packed, with the result that the contents of said pockets must be adjusted before the lid can be closed on the body. The present arrangement eliminates the necessity of adjusting the contents of the pockets. It will be noted that the panel and subspanel may be secured from displacement in the lid by snap-fasteners 20, which are carried by the lid and are engageable with complemental fastening elements which are carried by the outer or upper of the subpanels, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to limit the relative movement. of the lid 8 with respect to the body 7 of the carrier, flexible straps 21 are provided one end of each of which is anchored on the body 7 and the opposite end anchored on the lid 8,as illustrated to'advantage in Fig. 1. These straps are of more or less conventional design, but provision is made to flex or fold the same inwardly in the carrier when the lid is will parallel the longitudinal closed on the body, to prevent the straps from being exposed between the meeting edges of the body and lid. The means employed for folding the straps inwardly consists of elastic means, generally designated 22, which is secured to the straps 21 and to the body 7. The particular elastic means illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings consists of a. strip of elastic equipped with pins 23, in the terminals thereof, which may be engaged with the straps 21 approximately midway the ends of the latter. An intermediate portion of the strip carries pins 24, which are secured to the inner wall of the body 7. Consequently, when the lid is closed on the body, the straps 21 are automatically urged inwardly in the carrier. It is, of course, to be understood that the elastic strip 22 is shown for purpose of illustration only, since various means may be employed to fold or flex the straps 21 inwardly, in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.

As is apparent from Fig. 1 of the drawings, the provision of a marginal row of pockets in the body of the carrier provides a central space 25, which is especially adapted for the reception of a dress packet, generally designated 26, constructed in accordance with the present invention. The packet, as illustrated to advantage in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, consists of a base sheet 27 which is made of any suitable flexible material and has superimposed thereon a flexible clothespress 28, which is especially adapted to receive dresses and to retain the same in a predetermined folded or pressed condition. The clothes-press consists of an integral sheet which is folded along its longitudinal center and is stitched or otherwise fixedly secured to the base sheet 27 along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said sheet. .Consequcnb ly, when the press is in a folded or closed position, as more fully hereinafter set forth, it 7 axis of the base sheet. The ends of the press are spaced equidistantly from the terminals of the base sheetto permit said terminals to be folded in over the terminals of the clothes-press preparatory to rolling the packet into a bundle which complements the space 25 of the body of the carrier and is insertable therein. In using the packet, it will be found that one or mor dresses, as indicated at 29, may be inserted between the lower flap of the clothes-pre s and the upper face of the base sheet 26. while space for the accommodation of one or more dresses is provided between the upper face of the lower flap and the lower or inner face of the upper flap of the clothes-press. The lower or inner flap of the clothespress is equipped with a series of fastening elements 30, which complement and are adapted for engagement with fasteners on the face sheet 27 correspondingly, fasteners 31 are provided on the outer or upper fla p of the clothesgained to some particular article.

press which are adapted for engagement with corresponding fastening elements on the lower or inner flap of the clothes-press. It is the purport of the present packet to receive dresses which have been folded longitudinally to preserve the crease-lines made by pressing, to maintain plaits in proper position, etc. After the dresses so folded have been engaged between the clothes-press, the lateral margins of the base sheet 27 are folded over into superimposec relation to the clothes-press, following which the terminals of the sheet between the clothes-press are folded into engagement with the latter. The packet may then be rolled and inserted in the space 25, or, if desired, articles of apparel which are to be laundered, or miscellaneous articles, such as slippers, shoes, etc, may be enveloped in afabric sheet and mounted on the packet and the latter rolled, thereby providing a core 32 to prevent the helices of the rolled packet from collapsing and eliminating the possibility of the dresses being wrinkled. Although the packet is especially adapted for use with the carrier of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the packet may be used apart from the carrier to retain dresses folded, especially where space is not provided to suspend the same on hangers, or for extra dresses not needed enroute when hangers'are used.

A luggage carrier provided in accordance with the teaching of the present invention provides ample space to contain the many articles necessary to be taken by a woman on a journey of any appreciable duration. The articles are so segregated and retained in the carrier that access may be gained thereto expeditiously and in a facile manner, eliminating the necessity of removing a number of articles from the carrier before access can be Furthermore, the provision of the dress packet and particular manner of mounting the same in the luggage carrier of the present invention permits removal of the packet and use of the dresses contained therein without pressing, for reasons already set out herein. Hats may be carried conveniently and safely in a manher already herein set out. The present invention therefore, makes provision for carrying all articles in one carrier to eliminate the necessity of carrying more than one piece of baggage to transport various articles of wear ing apparel and toilet, which are customarily required by women.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in this invention, especially in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement, within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

1. In a suitcase, a body, a lid hinged to said body, a main panel in said lid hingedly mounted along its edge adjacent the hinge edge thereof for movement into position adj acent the main panel, means yieldably resisting movement of the sub-panels away from the main panel, and pockets carried by the outer faces of the sub-panels.

ANNE V. VAN DEVANTER. 

